RAILWAY BUSES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 112, 9 February 1928, Page 12

RAILWAY BUSES

PURCHASE OF HUTT FLEETS DEAL PRACTICALLY CONCLUDED MONOPOLY FOR DEPARTMENT As the outcome of negotiations with proprietors of the main motor.bus fleets operating on the Hutt Road, the Railway Department is to have practically a monopoly of the bps service between Wellington and the Hutt. The Department has agreed to purchase the motor-buses run by Messrs. Sharpe Bros., Barber and Whetton, and Cottrell’s, and subject to the final joint agreement of the parties the vehicles will be taken over shortly by the Department and run under its control. Early next week the firms interested will meet, the various private interests having determined some time ago that no one proprietor should sell without the consent of the others. If the deal is concluded—and the indications are said to be that it will be —the Department will control about thirtv-fivs buses which previously competed with its suburban railway service. Only one privately-owned service, the six buses of which do not run a fulltime service, will remain on the road. The acquisition of the additional buses is in accordance with the Department’s policy of buying out competitive private enterprise bus services where it is considered certain that these can be run at a profit by the Department. The first buses on the Hutt Road to be taken over by the Department were the Sports’ Community buses

No decision has yet been come to as to the time-table to be observed when the service under Departmental control commences. The fares will not be altered, and it is understood that the present staffs will be retained.